Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 and use thereof

ABSTRACT

The present application relates to a Bifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof. Specifically, the present application relates to Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 and a composition, culture, food product or dietary supplement containing the same. The present application also relates to the use of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 and the composition, culture, food product or dietary supplement containing the same in medicine.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to Bifidobacterium breve or progenythereof. Specifically, the present application relates to aBifidobacterium breve 207-1 and a composition, culture, food product ordietary supplement comprising the same. The present application alsorelates to a use of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 and composition,culture, food product or dietary supplement comprising the same in themanufacture of a medicament or health care product.

BACKGROUND

70%-80% of the human body's immune cells are located in the humanintestine. At the same time, the total number of bacteria in the humanintestine can reach 100 trillions, accounting for about 78% of the totalhuman microbes. Therefore, the intestine provides an important platformfor the host immune system to interact with microorganisms. The Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) believe that probiotics are livingmicroorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer ahealth benefit on the host. A large number of in vitro tests andclinical trials have shown that probiotics have good application effectsin host intestinal health and immune regulation.

Probiotics can regulate host immune function through a variety ofmechanisms. In terms of mucosal barrier function, probiotics can competewith invading organisms for attachment sites on mucosal cells, therebypreventing bacteria from penetrating mucosa and entering deep tissues;regulating the tight junctions among intestinal epithelial cells andstrengthening the barrier function of mucosal cells; inhibiting thedissolution and apoptosis of intestinal mucosal cells and maintainingthe integrity of gastrointestinal mucosa. Probiotics can also enhanceinnate immune function by enhancing the phagocytic activity ofantigen-presenting cells (APCs) such as phagocytes, DCs, enhancing thekilling ability of NK cells, and enhancing the expression level ofcytokines (e.g., pro-inflammatory factors such as IL-12, IFN-γ, TNF-αand anti-inflammatory factors such as TGF-β, IL-10, etc.) to control theintensity of the inflammatory response. At the same time, probiotics canenhance adaptive immunity. The probiotics colonized at the intestinalmucosa can promote the responsiveness of T and B lymphocytes to antigenstimulation, stimulate the relevant lymphoid tissues in the intestinalmucosa, and induce the secretion of sIgA. Probiotics as antigenicsubstances can be phagocytosed by M cells. The antigen in M cells isquickly released and taken up by DCs, which presents the antigen tonaive CD4+ T lymphocytes, activating Th1 or Th2 cells to balance theratio of Th1 and Th2 reactions.

In addition, whether probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria can exertthe above health benefit on the body also depends on whether the straincan tolerate the defense mechanism of the gastrointestinal tract in thebody, such as the low pH environment in gastric juice and the bile acidin small intestine. Only when they reach the intestine alive, adhere tothe intestinal epithelial cells and colonize in the intestine, they canproduce beneficial metabolites and interact with the host.

Therefore, screening for lactic acid bacteria that can enter theintestines and have high viability is the primary consideration for thedevelopment of probiotics. Probiotics with high survivability, as wellas the ability to regulate the host's immune function and anti-allergicfunction are yet to be developed.

CONTENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the scientific andtechnical terms used herein have the meanings commonly understood bythose skilled in the art. At the same time, in order to betterunderstand the present invention, definitions and explanations ofrelated terms are provided below.

As used herein, the term “progeny” refers to progeny cells produced bymicroorganisms through growth (e.g., growth by culturing in culturemedium). It is easy to understand that in the growth and culture ofmicroorganisms, especially bacteria, certain changes (e.g., mutation ofone or several bases) may occur in genetic material, and these changesmay occur spontaneously or may be the results of mutagenesis withchemical and/or physical agents (e.g., mutagens) and/or recombinant DNAtechnology known in the art. Therefore, the progeny of Bifidobacteriumbreve herein is intended to encompass the progeny whose genetic materialhas not changed or has changed as compared with the Bifidobacteriumbreve of the present invention. Of course, the progeny still retain thefunctions of the strain from which they are derived (e.g., capable ofenhancing immunity, improving allergic reactions, etc.).

As used herein, the term “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” refers toa carrier that is pharmacologically and/or physiologically compatiblewith the subject and the active ingredient, which is well known in theart (see, for example, Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences. Edited byGennaro A R, 19^(th) ed. Pennsylvania: Mack Publishing Company, 1995),and includes but not limited to: pH adjusting agents, surfactants,adjuvants, ionic strength enhancers. For example, pH adjusting agentsinclude, but are not limited to, phosphate buffer; surfactants include,but are not limited to, cationic, anionic or nonionic surfactants, suchas Tween-80; and ionic strength enhancers include, but are not limitedto, sodium chloride.

As used herein, the term “dietary supplement” refers to an edibleproduct that can provide consumers with beneficial effects (e.g.,nutritional effects, preventive effects, therapeutic effects, or otherbeneficial effects). In this context, the dietary supplement covershealth care products, nutritional products, supplements and otherproducts.

As used herein, the term “medicament” encompasses medicament used inboth human and animal in human medicine and veterinary medicine, as wellas those used for incorporation into animal feed (e.g., livestock feedand/or pet food). In addition, the term “medicament” as used hereinmeans any substance that provides therapeutic, preventive, and/orbeneficial effects. The term “medicament” as used herein is notnecessarily limited to substances that require a marketing approval, butincludes materials that can be used in cosmetics, health care products,food (including, for example, feed and beverages), probiotic cultures,and dietary supplements.

As used herein, the term “CFU (Colony-Forming Units)” refers to thetotal number of microbial colony such as bacteria, fungi and yeast in aproduct, and is usually used for the calculation of viable count.

As used herein, the term “CFU/dose” refers to the amount of bacteriapresent in the composition/food product or dietarysupplement/pharmaceutical composition provided to the subject every dayor every time. For example, in certain embodiments, Bifidobacteriumbreve in the food product or dietary supplement is present in an amountof 10⁶ to 10¹² CFU/dose (e.g., 10⁸ to 10¹² CFU/dose). In thisembodiment, if Bifidobacterium breve is applied in a food product (e.g.,in solid beverages, yogurt), the food product (e.g., solid beverages,yogurt) provided to the subject every day or every time may containabout 10⁶ to 10¹² CFU of Bifidobacterium breve. Of course,alternatively, the amount of such bacteria can be divided into andadministrated in a plurality of batches. As long as the total amount ofBifidobacterium breve received by the subject at any specific time(e.g., a period of every 24 hours) is from about 10⁶ to about 10¹² CFU,it meets the requirement of the above-mentioned food product or dietarysupplement in which Bifidobacterium breve is present in an amount of 10⁶to 10¹² CFU/dose (e.g., 10⁸ to 10¹² CFU/dose).

The inventors of the present application selected a strain ofBifidobacterium breve with significant strain-specific probioticpotential from 265 strains derived from the intestinal tract of healthynewborns through a large number of experiments. The inventors of thepresent application have confirmed through a large number of experimentsthat the Bifidobacterium breve has good tolerance to the acidicenvironment of gastric juice and bile salts, has high capability toadhesion to the intestinal tract, and can enhance immunity, improve oralleviate allergies symptoms, and thus completed the present invention.

Therefore, in a first aspect, the present application provides aBifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof, the Bifidobacterium breve isdeposited in the Guangdong Microbial Culture Collection Center, and hasan accession number of GDMCC No. 60962.

In a second aspect, the present application provides a compositioncomprising the Bifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof.

In certain embodiments, the composition further comprises amicroorganism selected from the group consisting of bacterium, fungus(e.g., yeast), or any combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the Bifidobacterium breve may be used incombination with one or more other species of microorganisms, in whichthe other species of microorganisms can have a beneficial effect on thehealth of a host to which it is administered.

In certain embodiments, the microorganism is a probiotic.

In certain embodiments, the probiotic is selected from probioticbacterium, yeast, or any combination thereof.

As used herein, the term “probiotic bacterium” is defined as anynon-pathogenic bacterium, and when it as live bacterium is administeredin a sufficient amount to a host, it can have a beneficial effect on thehealth of the host.

In certain embodiments, the bacterium is selected from the groupconsisting of Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Bacillus spp.,Propionibacterium spp., Streptococcus spp., Lactococcus spp.,Pediococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., or anycombination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the bacterium of the Bifidobacterium spp. isselected from the group consisting of: Bifidobacterium animalis,Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacteriuminfantis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, or anycombination thereof.

In some embodiments, the bacterium of the Lactobacillus spp. is selectedfrom the group consisting of: Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillusacidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus jensenii, Lactobacillusiners, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacilluscurvatus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus fermentum,Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillusjohnsonii, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillusrhamnosus, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus salivarius, or anycombination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the bacterium of the Bacillus spp. is selectedfrom the group consisting of: Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus coagulans, orany combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the bacterium of the Propionibacterium spp. isselected from the group consisting of: Propionibacterium shermanii,Propionibacterium freudenreichii, Propionibacterium acidipropionici, orany combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the bacterium of the Streptococcus spp. isselected from the group consisting of: Streptococcus thermophilus,Streptococcus salivarius, or any combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the bacterium of the Lactococcus spp. isLactococcus lactis.

In certain embodiments, the bacterium of the Enterococcus spp. isselected from the group consisting of: Enterococcus faecalis,Enterococcus faecium, or any combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the yeast is selected from the group consistingof Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces boulardii, Kluyveromycesmarxianus, or any combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the composition further comprises an additionaladditive.

Those skilled in the art can select and adjust the additional additiveaccording to requirements. In certain embodiments, the additionaladditive is selected from the group consisting of other nutrient,mineral, vitamin, or any combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the additional additive can have a beneficialeffect on the health of the host to which it is administered.

In certain embodiments, the other nutrient is selected from the groupconsisting of dietary fiber, prebiotics, protein (e.g., enzymes),carbohydrate, lipid (e.g., fat), mineral, vitamin, plant ingredient(e.g., plant extract), amino acid, immunomodulator, milk substitute, orany combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the mineral is selected from the groupconsisting of iron, zinc, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and anycombination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the vitamin is selected from the groupconsisting of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitaminA, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, and any combinationthereof.

In some embodiments, the composition serves as a starter culture (e.g.,starter culture for plant fermented product, starter culture for dairyproduct). In such embodiments, the Bifidobacterium breve in thecomposition is used as a starter culture to participate in afermentation process. For example, in the process of preparing yogurt,Bifidobacterium breve, as a probiotic, is fermented together with freshmilk to prepare yogurt.

In certain embodiments, the composition is used to prepare a foodproduct and/or a dietary supplement (e.g., health care food).

In certain embodiments, the food product is selected from the groupconsisting of solid beverage, candy, or fruit juice; or, the foodproduct is a dairy product (e.g., yogurt, flavored fermented milk,lactic acid bacteria beverage, cheese).

In certain embodiments, the dietary supplement is formulated for oraladministration.

In certain embodiments, the dietary supplement is in the form of a pill,powder, capsule, tablet, granule powder, opercula, orally dissolvinggranule, sachet, dragee or liquid.

In some embodiments, preferably, Bifidobacterium breve is present in thecomposition in an amount of 10⁶ to 10¹² CFU/dose (e.g., 10⁸ to 10¹²CFU/dose).

In a third aspect, the present application provides a food product ordietary supplement comprising the aforementioned Bifidobacterium breveor progeny thereof or the aforementioned composition.

In the context, the term “food” is broad, including human food anddrinks, as well as animal food and drinks (i.e., feed). In certainembodiments, the food product is suitable and designed for humanconsumption.

It can be understood that, depending on the use, application mode oradministration mode, the food product of the present application may bein the form of liquid, solid, suspension or powder.

In certain embodiments, the food product is selected from the groupconsisting of solid beverage, candy or fruit juice, or the food productis a dairy product (e.g., yogurt, flavored fermented milk, lactic acidbacteria beverage, cheese).

In certain embodiments, the dietary supplement is formulated for oraladministration.

In certain embodiments, the dietary supplement is in the form of a pill,powder, capsule, tablet, granule powder, opercula, orally dissolvinggranule, sachet, dragee or liquid.

In certain embodiments, the food product or dietary supplement may alsocomprise (but not limited to) one or any combination of the followingsubstances: probiotic (e.g., probiotic bacterium), dietary fiber,prebiotics, protein (e.g., enzyme), carbohydrate, lipid (e.g., fat),vitamin, mineral, plant ingredient (e.g., plant extract), amino acid,immunomodulator, milk substitute, or metabolite or extract ofBifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof. In some embodiments, thecomposition of the present invention can also be combined with differentsweeteners or flavoring agents, toning substances, stabilizers,glidants, fillers and other auxiliary materials that are acceptable infoods.

In certain embodiments, Bifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof ispresent in the form of a concentrate.

In certain embodiments, the Bifidobacterium breve in the food product ordietary supplement is present in an amount of 10⁶ to 10¹² CFU/dose(e.g., 10⁸ to 10¹² CFU/dose).

In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a pharmaceuticalcomposition comprising the aforementioned Bifidobacterium breve orprogeny thereof.

As used herein, the term “pharmaceutical composition” encompassespharmaceutical compositions used in humans as well as pharmaceuticalcompositions used in animals (e.g., veterinary applications). In certainembodiments, the pharmaceutical composition is for use in humans.

In certain embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition comprises aformulation of Bifidobacterium breve.

In certain embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition comprises apharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

In certain embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition is formulated fororal administration.

In some embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition is in the form of apill, powder, capsule, tablet, granule powder, opercula, orallydissolving granule, sachet, dragee or liquid.

Preferably, Bifidobacterium breve in the pharmaceutical composition ispresent in an amount of 10⁶ to 10¹² CFU/dose (e.g., 10⁸ to 10¹²CFU/dose).

In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a culture, whichcomprises the aforementioned Bifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof.

In certain embodiments, the culture further comprises a microorganismselected from the group consisting of bacterium, fungus (e.g. yeast), orany combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the culture further comprises anutrient-providing ingredient (e.g., solid or liquid medium, feeder celllayer).

In some embodiments, the nutrient-providing ingredient is selected fromthe group consisting of prebiotics, protein (e.g., enzyme),carbohydrate, lipid (e.g., fat), probiotic, vitamin, immunomodulator,milk substitute, mineral, amino acid, or any combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the culture further comprises a cell-freeculture filtrate of Bifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof.

In certain embodiments, the culture further comprises a derivative ofBifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof.

In certain embodiments, the derivative is selected from the groupconsisting of metabolite, enzyme, cellular structural component (e.g.,cell wall or component thereof), extracellular polysaccharide,bacteriocin, compound containing immunogenic component, or anycombination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the microorganism is live or dead, as a lysateor extract, or as a bacterial product, or as a supernatant.

In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a use of theaforementioned Bifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof or theaforementioned composition or the aforementioned pharmaceuticalcomposition or the aforementioned culture in the manufacture of amedicament or dietary supplement or health care product, the medicamentor dietary supplement or health care product is used for inhibitinginflammation or alleviating an inflammatory disease in a subject, or forimproving the immunity of the subject, or for preventing a bacterial orviral infection or an autoimmune disease in the subject, or forimproving or alleviating an allergic reaction or symptom in the subject.

In certain embodiments, the inflammatory disease is selected from thegroup consisting of a disease caused by retina inflammation (e.g.,retinitis, keratitis), a disease caused by skin inflammation (e.g.,dermatitis, eczema), a disease caused by respiratory tract inflammation(e.g., upper respiratory tract infection), and a disease caused bydigestive tract inflammation (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease).

In certain embodiments, the bacterial or viral infection is selectedfrom the group consisting of bacterial influenza, viral influenza,urinary tract infection, vaginitis and cervicitis.

In certain embodiments, the autoimmune disease is selected from thegroup consisting of systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes, rheumatoidarthritis, and autoimmune encephalitis.

In certain embodiments, the allergic reaction or symptom is selectedfrom the group consisting of eczema, atopic dermatitis, asthma, and foodallergy.

In some embodiments, the medicament or dietary supplement or health careproduct can promote the activation of immune cells, promote theproduction of cytokines, inhibit inflammation or alleviate inflammatorydiseases.

In certain embodiments, the cytokine is selected from the groupconsisting of IL-10, IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α, or any combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the anti-inflammatory cytokine is IL-10.

In some embodiments, the medicament or dietary supplement or health careproduct can reduce IgE level and inhibit IgE-mediated allergic reaction.

In some embodiments, the medicament or dietary supplement or health careproduct is used alone or in combination with an additional antifungalagent, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drug, healing agent, or moisturizer.

In certain embodiments, the subject is a mammal.

In certain embodiments, the subject is a human.

In a seventh aspect, the present invention provides a method forinhibiting an inflammation or alleviating an inflammatory disease, orpreventing a bacterial or viral infection or an autoimmune disease, orimproving or alleviating an allergic reaction or a symptom thereof,wherein the method comprises: administering the aforementionedBifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof or the aforementionedcomposition or the aforementioned pharmaceutical composition to asubject in need thereof.

In certain embodiments, the inflammatory disease is selected from thegroup consisting of a disease caused by retina inflammation (e.g.,retinitis, keratitis), a diseases caused by skin inflammation (e.g.,dermatitis, eczema), a disease caused by respiratory tract inflammation(e.g., upper respiratory tract infection), and a disease caused bydigestive tract inflammation (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease).

In certain embodiments, the bacterial or viral infection is selectedfrom the group consisting of bacterial influenza, viral influenza,urinary tract infection, vaginitis and cervicitis.

In certain embodiments, the autoimmune disease is selected from thegroup consisting of systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes, rheumatoidarthritis, autoimmune encephalitis, and the like.

In certain embodiments, the allergic reaction or symptom thereof isselected from the group consisting of eczema, atopic dermatitis, asthma,and food allergy.

In certain embodiments, the aforementioned Bifidobacterium breve orprogeny thereof or the aforementioned pharmaceutical composition isadministered by a method selected from the group consisting of oraladministration, injection administration (e.g., intravenous injection orintramuscular injection), topical application (e.g., smearing), or anycombination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the aforementioned Bifidobacterium breve orprogeny thereof or the aforementioned pharmaceutical composition isadministered alone, or in combination with other antifungal agent,analgesic, anti-inflammatory drug, healing agent, or moisturizer.

In certain embodiments, the subject is a mammal.

In certain embodiments, the subject is a human.

In an eighth aspect, the present invention provides a method forimproving an immunity of a subject, the method comprising: administeringthe aforementioned Bifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof or theaforementioned composition or the aforementioned pharmaceuticalcomposition to a subject in need thereof.

In certain embodiments, the aforementioned Bifidobacterium breve orprogeny thereof or the aforementioned pharmaceutical composition isadministered by a method selected from the group consisting of oraladministration, injection administration (e.g., intravenous injection orintramuscular injection), or any combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the subject is a mammal.

In certain embodiments, the subject is a human.

In a ninth aspect, the present invention provides a use of theaforementioned Bifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof or theaforementioned composition or the aforementioned culture in themanufacture of a starter culture, in which the starter culture is usefulin the fermentation of a solid food (e.g., cheese) or a liquid food(e.g., yogurt, flavored fermented milk, lactic acid bacteria beverage).

Beneficial Effect

The Bifidobacterium breve of the present application has good toleranceto the acidic environment of gastric juice and bile salts, and has highcapability to adhesion to the intestinal tract, and can activate theactivity of macrophages and promote the expression of cytokines. Inparticular, the Bifidobacterium breve of the present application cansignificantly increase the expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10,can inhibit inflammation or alleviate inflammatory diseases, and improveimmunity. In addition, the Bifidobacterium breve of the presentapplication can reduce the level of serum IgE and improve allergicreactions.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detailbelow in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples.However, those skilled in the art will understand that the followingdrawings and examples are only used to illustrate the present invention,but not to limit the scope of the present invention. According to theaccompanying drawings and the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiments, various objects and advantageous aspects of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the colony morphology of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1cultured on the plate, wherein, FIG. 1A shows the colony morphology ofBifidobacterium breve 207-1 cultured on the BL plate, FIG. 1B shows thecolony morphology of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 cultured on the TOSplate.

FIG. 2 shows a microscopic view of Gram-stained Bifidobacterium breve207-1.

FIG. 3 shows the serum IgE levels of OVA model mice that received or didnot receive treatment with Bifidobacterium breve 207-1.

Notes on the Deposition of Biological Materials

The Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 has been deposited in the GuangdongMicrobial Culture Collection Center (GDMCC) located on the 5th floor ofBuilding 59, No. 100, Xianlie Middle Road, Guangzhou. It has theaccession number GDMCC No. 60962, and the deposit time is Jan. 15, 2020.

SPECIFIC MODELS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described with reference to the followingexamples which are intended to illustrate the invention rather thanlimiting the invention.

Unless otherwise specified, the experiments and methods described in theexamples are basically performed according to conventional methods wellknown in the art and described in various references. For example,conventional techniques such as immunology, biochemistry, chemistry,molecular biology, microbiology, cell biology, genomics, and recombinantDNA used in the present invention can be found in: Sambrook, Fritsch andManiatis, “MOLECULAR CLONING: A LABORATORY MANUAL”, 2^(nd) edition(1989); “CURRENT PROTOCOLS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY”, Edited by F. M.Ausubel et al., (1987); “METHODS IN ENZYMOLOGY” (series, AcademicPublishing Company): “PCR 2: A PRACTICAL APPROACH”, Edited by M. J.MacPherson, B. D. Hames, and G. R. Taylor (1995); and ANIMAL CELLCULTURE, Edited by R. I. Frescheni (1987).

In addition, if the specific conditions were not specified in theexamples, it should be carried out in accordance with the conventionalconditions or the conditions recommended by the manufacturer. Thereagents or instruments used without indicating the manufacturer thereofwere all conventional products that could be purchased commercially.Those skilled in the art know that the embodiments describe the presentinvention by way of illustration, and are not intended to limit theprotection scope claimed by the present invention. All publications andother references mentioned herein are incorporated into this applicationby reference in their entirety.

Example 1 Isolation and Identification of Strains

In the present application, 265 strains were isolated from stool samplesof normal term neonates born in West China Women's and Children'sHospital of Sichuan University, and one strain of Bifidobacterium brevewas screened from them, and was named Bifidobacterium breve 207-1. Amongthem, the inclusion criteria for newborns were: living in five districtsof Chengdu; gestational age of 37-42 weeks, birth weight between2500-4000 g, and the babies had no congenital abnormalities or birthdefects. The exclusion criteria were: mothers had used antibioticswithin one month before delivery; parents had infectious diseases suchas AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and newborns were not suitable forcollecting feces due to severe diseases such as neonatal pneumonia.

Fresh feces were collected from 1-4 months infants and placed in asepticfeces collection tubes. After sampling, it was temporarily stored at 4°C. and sent to the laboratory at low temperature by the samplingpersonnel for dilution and culture of the stool sample. If it could notbe operated immediately, it was stored under anaerobic condition at 4°C. and cultured on the same day.

0.5 g of feces was weighed, added with 4.5 mL of fecal diluent (4.5 g ofKH₂PO₄, 6.0 g of Na₂HPO₄, 0.5 g of L-cysteine hydrochloride, 0.5 g ofTween-80, 1.0 g of agar were mixed with 1000 ml of distilled water,autoclaved for sterilization at 121° C. for 15 min for later use),shaken and mixed thoroughly, and diluted by 10 times in series. 100 μLof fecal mixture with suitable dilution degree was taken and spread on aplate with (5% horse blood) glucose, blood, liver culture medium (BLculture medium) by a L-shaped rod, and anaerobic culture was carried outat 37° C. for 48 h. The suspected Bifidobacterium colonies (thosecolonies which were brown or brownish red, had a smooth and moistsurface, a round and raised shape and a neat edge, and had a diameter ofabout 3-5 mm) on the BL plate were picked up, subcultured on a platewith a Bifidobacterium selective medium, i.e. TOS propionate agar, andcultured under anaerobic condition at 37° C. for 48 hours. Then, thecolonies were picked up from the TOS plate, inoculated on a MRS plateand cultured under anaerobic condition at 37° C. The growth of thecolonies at the presence of oxygen was also observed. Gram staining andmicroscopic observation were performed on the strains.

The above experiments showed that the strain was a strictly aerobicstrain, and was a gram-positive bacillus, with one or both ends swelledor bifurcated, and without spores. It is preliminarily determined thatthe strain isolated in the application is a Bifidobacterium (shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 ).

PCR method were used to identify the isolated strain. The bacterial DNAwas extracted by a boiling method. Primers specifically forBifidobacterium spp. and primers specifically for 8 Bifidobacteriumstrains (B. adolescentis group, B. angulatum, B. bifidum, B. breve, B.catenulatum group, B. dentium, B. infantis, B. longum) were used for PCRamplification of the bacterial DNA. The sequences of the primers couldbe found in a literature (Matsuki T, et al. 2004, Appl EnvironMicrobiol) and were shown in Table 1. The amplification system comprised25 μL of 2× Taq MasterMix (Beijing Kangwei Century Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.), 2 μL for each of upstream and downstream primers (10 μmol/L), 4μL of template DNA, and 17 μL of ddH₂O. The PCR amplification werecarried out as follows: pre-denaturation at 94° C. for 2 min;denaturation at 94° C. for 30 s, annealing at 55° C. for 30 s, extensionat 72° C. for 30 s (35 cycles); final extension at 72° C. for 2 min. PCRproducts were identified by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis (0.4 gagarose was dissolved in 20 mL 0.5× TBE buffer under heating, and 1 μLGoldview was added, and the loading volume was 5 μL, and electrophoresiswas performed at 80V for 20 min), and ChemiDoc XRS+ System (a gelimaging system) was used to take photos for identification ofBifidobacterium.

The results of the PCR identification were shown in Table 2. A strongpositive band was observed for the PCR products amplified from theBifidobacterium spp. primers and the B. breve primers, and the remainingprimers did not result in any PCR products. Therefore, the strainobtained in the application is Bifidobacterium breve.

Furthermore, the whole genome of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 wasdetermined using the PacBio Sequel2 sequencing platform, its genomelength was 2,352,089 bp, the GC contents were 58.8% respectively (inwhich the GC contents referred to ratios of guanine and cytosine in thefour bases of DNA), the chromosome genome contained 2,077 coding genes,58 tRNA genes, 9 rRNA genes (including 5s rRNA, 16s rRNA and 23s rRNA),and 14 other types of RNA genes.

Based on the above-mentioned PCR identification and whole-genomesequencing experimental results, the present application obtained a newstrain, i.e., Bifidobacterium breve 207-1, which was deposited on Jan.15, 2020.

TABLE 1 Sequences of primers SEQ primer Sequence ID NO. Bifidobacteriumg-Bifid-F CTCCTGGAAAC  1 GGGTGG g-Bifid-R GGTGTTCTTCC  2 CGATATCTACAB. adolescentis BiADOg-1a CTCCAGTTGGA  3 group TGCATGTC BiADOg-1bTCCAGTTGACC  4 GCATGGT BiADO-2 CGAAGGCTTGC  5 TCCCAGT B. angulatumBiANG-1 CAGTCCATCGC  6 ATGGTGGT BiANG-2 GAAGGCTTGCT  7 CCCCAACB. bifidum BiBIF-1 CCACATGATCG  8 CATGTGATTG BiBIF-2 CCGAAGGCTTG  9CTCCCAAA B. breve BiBRE-1 CCGGATGCTCC 10 ATCACAC BiBRE-2 ACAAAGTGCCT 11TGCTCCCT B. catenulatum BiCATg-1 CGGATGCTCCG 12 group ACTCCT BiCATg-2CGAAGGCTTGC 13 TCCCGAT B. longum BiLON-1 TTCCAGTTGAT 14 CGCATGGTCBiLON-2 GGGAAGCCGTA 15 TCTCTACGA B. infantis BiINF-1 TTCCAGTTGAT 16CGCATGGTC BiINF-2 GGAAACCCCAT 17 CTCTGGGAT B. dentium BiDEN-1ATCCCGGGGGT 18 TCGCCT BiDEN-2 GAAGGGCTTGC 19 TCCCGA

TABLE 2 Identification results of Bifidobacterium name spp. BreveInfantis Bifidum catenulatum longum adolescentis dentium angulatum 207-1++ ++ − − − − − − − Note: ″++″ represents a strong positive band; ″+″represents a positive band; ″±″ represents a weakly positive band; ″−″represents negative.

Example 2 Study on the Probiotic Characteristics of Bifidobacteriumbreve 207-1

1. Experimental Screening for Acid and Bile Salt Tolerance ofBifidobacterium breve 207-1

1.1 Preparation of Test Bacterial Suspension: Bifidobacterium breve207-1 was resuscitated by TOS medium and subjected to passage twice forlater use. After 48 hours of TOS culture, the bacteria were scraped into2 mL of fecal diluent, vortexed and well mixed, and the concentrationwas roughly adjusted to 10⁸ to 10⁹ CFU/mL.

1.2 Preparation of Simulated Gastric Acid and Bile Salt CultureSolutions

Preparation of simulated gastric acid culture solution: MRS brothculture solution was prepared, sterilized and then adjusted with 1 mol/LHCL to pH value of 3.0, thereby preparing the simulated gastric acidculture solution.

Preparation of simulated bile salt culture solution: MRS broth culturesolution was prepared, sterilized and then added with bovine bile saltto a concentration of 0.1%, adjust with 1 mol/L HCL to pH of 8.0, andthen filtered for sterilization with 0.22 μm microporous membrane,thereby preparing the bile salt culture solution.

1.3 Gastric Acid and Bile Salt Tolerance Tests

Acid tolerance test of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1: 0.9 ml of thesimulated gastric acid culture solution was placed into a EP tube, addedwith 0.1 ml of the prepared bacterial suspension, vortexed and wellmixed, and then it was placed in an anaerobic incubator and cultured at37° C. for 2 hours. Tests were carried out at 0 h and 2 h, and 3parallel tests were set for the strain at each time point. The MRS broth(pH=7) without adjusting the pH was used as control, the growth ofbacteria was observed, and the death of bacteria caused by other factorswas excluded.

Bile salt tolerance test of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1: 0.9 ml of thebile salt culture solution was placed into a EP tube, added with 0.1 mLof the prepared bacterial suspension, vortexed and well mixed, and thenit was placed in an anaerobic incubator and culture at 37° C. for 24hours. Tests were carried out at 0 h and 24 h, and 3 parallel tests wereset for the strain at each time point. The MRS broth (pH=7) without bilesalt was used as control, the growth of bacteria was observed, and thedeath of bacteria caused by other factors was excluded.

After the above culture was completed, 10-fold gradient dilution wasimmediately carried out, the diluent with appropriate dilution degreewas spot-inoculated to a TOS plate, cultured under anaerobic conditionat 37° C. for 24-48 hours and subjected to counting. The counting resultof the 0-hour dilution inoculation was used as the initial bacterialconcentration. The results were compared with survival rates, which wascalculated according to the following formula:Survival rate (%)=concentration of viable bacteria afterculture(CFU/mL)/0-hour concentration of viable bacteria(CFU/mL)×100

The experimental results showed that the survival rate of theBifidobacterium breve 207-1 after 2 hours of digestion in the simulatedgastric acid culture solution of pH=3 was 86.3%; the survival rate after24 hours of culture in the bile salt culture solution was 73.6%.Therefore, it could be seen that the Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 hadgood tolerance to gastric acid and bile salts, and could effectivelyresist the extreme environment of the upper digestive tract, so as toreach the lower digestive tract, such as the colon, to perform healthyfunctions. The Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 therefore meets the basicrequirements as a probiotic.

2. Adhesion Ability of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 to Intestinal Mucosa

2.1 Adhesion test method: After resuscitating and subculturingBifidobacterium breve 207-1 on the TOS plate for three generations, theOD600 absorbance of the bacterial suspension was adjusted to 1.051±0.005(concentration of 1×10⁹ CFU/mL). The commercial strains Bifidobacteriumanimalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG were usedas control strains for parallel experiments, and their bacterialsuspensions were prepared according to the same method described above.

500 μg/mL mucin solution was added to 96-well Maxisorp plate (Nunc), 100μL per well, and incubated overnight in a refrigerator at 4° C. It wastaken out and washed with PBS three times, 200 μL per well, then blockedwith PBS containing 1% Tween 20 for 1 h, 100 μL per well. 100 μL of theprepared bacterial suspension was taken and added to microwell, and 3parallels were set for each strain. At the same time, PBS was usedinstead of bacterial suspension to be added as a blank control, and 3parallels were set. Incubation was carried out overnight in arefrigerator at 4° C. After the incubation, it was taken out and washedthree times with PBS containing 0.05% Tween 20 to remove unadheredbacteria. Then, it was dried in an oven at 60° C. for 1 h. The driedmicroplate was added with 1% crystal violet solution, 100 μL per well,and stained for 45 min. Then it was washed with PBS for 6 times, addedwith absolute ethanol, and allowed to stand for 10 minutes to releasethe staining solution. Finally, the absorbance of each well atwavelength of 590 nm was measured by a microplate reader.

2.2 Adhesion results of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1: The adhesion testresults of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 were shown in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Adhesion test results No. Strain No. Stain OD₅₉₀ value (X ± S) 1207-1 B. breve 0.648 ± 0.001 2 LGG L. rhamnosus 0.609 ± 0.018 3 Bb-12 B.animalis 0.696 ± 0.021 4 Blank control — 0.089 ± 0.003

Mucin is the main component of intestinal epithelial cells that producea large amount of mucus. Mucus can protect intestinal mucosal cells fromcontact with pathogenic microorganisms, prevent pathogenic bacteria frominvading epithelial cells, thereby protecting the normal function ofepithelial cells. Studies have shown that probiotics can induceintestinal epithelial cells to secrete mucin that forms a biofilm on thesurface of the intestinal mucosa by occupying the attachment points ofthe intestinal mucosa, preventing foreign bacteria from attaching to theintestinal mucosa. The oligosaccharide chain of mucin contains a largenumber of specific sites that bind to various probiotics, especially theepitope at the end of the saccharide chain can also screen and identifythe flora of intestinal probiotics, and assist the colonization ofintestinal probiotics.

The results of this experiment showed that Bifidobacterium breve 207-1had similar mucin binding ability as compared with the commercialstrains Bifidobacterium animalis BB12 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG.Therefore, the applicant believes that Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 caneffectively adhere to the intestinal mucosa and has excellentcolonization ability. Based on this, it occupies the surface of theintestinal mucosa, forms a probiotic barrier, inhibits the colonizationand invasion of harmful bacteria, thereby effectively regulating theintestinal flora and protecting the normal immune function of theintestinal immune cells.

Example 3 Immune Properties of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 by CellExperiment

1. Experimental Method

Mouse macrophages RAW264.7 (5×10⁵/mL) were cultured, the Bifidobacteriumbreve 207-1 suspension was adjusted to have a concentration of 10⁹CFU/mL, diluted by 10 times and co-cultured with cells, and used as theexperimental group; PGN was used as a positive control (PGN waspeptidoglycan of gram-positive bacteria, and was the main substance ingram-positive bacteria that stimulated and induced inflammation of hostimmune cells, so it was used as a positive control for this experiment),Bb-12 and LGG were used as commercial control strains, RPMI1640 mediumwas used as a blank control, three parallel samples were set up for eachgroup. After 24 hours of co-cultivation, the cell supernatant wascollected, and the secretion levels of the cytokine expression proteinsas shown in Table 4 were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbentassay (ELISA) method. The Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 was also used tostimulate human macrophages THP-1 by the same method, and itsimmunomodulatory effect on human cells was observed. 2. Experimentalresults and analysis of mouse macrophages RAW264.7

2.1 Results and Analysis of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

The results of the ELISA experiment of co-culture of Bifidobacteriumbreve 207-1 and mouse macrophages RAW264.7 were shown in Table 4.

TABLE 4 ELISA test results (mean ± standard deviation) Cytokineexpression level (pg/mL) Strain No. Strain IL-6 IL-10 TNF-α 207-1 B.breve 619.02 ± 13.83 1554.61 ± 305.37  4731.00 ± 173.31 Bb-12 B. animal307.44 ± 65.03 931.44 ± 299.42 9887.97 ± 596.94 LGG L. rhamnosus  44.93± 39.48 92.07 ± 19.01  8097.62 ± 1006.08 PGN — 1005.75 ± 38.74  985.22 ±130.50 7850.80 ± 467.76 Control group — 153.39 ± 20.75 450.99 ± 135.83107.29 ± 58.44

The results showed that, compared with the control group,Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 could stimulate the increase of theexpression levels of the genes of cytokines IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α, andinduced the activation of macrophages. In particular, the ELISA resultsshowed that after stimulation with Bifidobacterium breve 207-1, thelevel of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 was significantly increased,especially significantly higher than that in the Bb-12, LGG, PGN groupand the control group. The Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 could stimulatemacrophages to secrete a large amount of anti-inflammatory cytokineIL-10, suggesting that this Bifidobacterium has a potentialanti-inflammatory activity and can relieve inflammation and improveinflammatory diseases.

3. Experimental Results and Analysis of Human Macrophages THP-1

The results of the ELISA experiment for co-culture of Bifidobacteriumbreve 207-1 and human macrophages THP-1 were shown in Table 5.

TABLE 5 ELISA results for THP-1 (mean ± standard deviation) Cytokineexpression level (pg/mL) Strain No. Strain IL-6 IL-10 TNF-α 207-1 B.breve 247.24 ± 14.00 211.16 ± 11.46 1162.38 ± 102.36 PGN — 19.97 ± 0.6714.77 ± 1.26 297.185 ± 24.65  Control —  0.34 ± 0.11  0.24 ± 0.33  6.57± 1.59 group

It could be seen from the results in Table 5 that Bifidobacterium breve207-1 exhibited the same immunological effect on human macrophages as onanimal cells, and its activation effect was significantly higher thanthat of the positive control PGN. It could be seen from the above twoexperiments that Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 has an important immuneeffect of stimulating the immune response of macrophages and causingthem to secrete the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10.

Example 4 Immunomodulatory Ability Test of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1

1. Experimental Method:

A total of 18 BALB/C mice, male, 6 weeks old, weighing 18-20 g, wereselected. They were divided into 3 groups, including: 6 animals in thecontrol group, 6 animals in the intervention control group of commercialprobiotic strain LGG, which had been proved to have the most significantimmunomodulatory ability in animal and clinical trials, and 6 animals inthe intervention control group of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1. Theanimals of the control group were given 0.2 ml of normal saline per day,and the animals of the probiotic intervention groups were given 0.2 mlof bacterial solution per day (the bacterial content was 10⁹ cfu). Theanimals of each group were raised for 4 weeks and then sacrificed.

Sample collection: On the day before the start of the gavage experiment,all mice were weighed and their feces were collected. On the 14^(th) dayof the experiment, all mice were weighed and their feces were collected.On the 28^(th) day of the experiment, all mice were weighed and theirfeces were collected, then they were sacrificed, and their organs(spleen, lung, thymus, liver) were collected and weighed.

Measurement of indicators: the organ coefficients of spleen and thymuswere determined by use weighing method; the expression of cytokine genesin spleen tissue was determined by RT-PCR method.

2. Experimental Results:

There was no significant difference in body weight in each group beforeand after the intervention, indicating that Bifidobacterium breve 207-1had no adverse effect on the normal development of mice. There was nosignificant difference in spleen coefficient and thymus coefficientbetween the groups, indicating that the exertion of probiotics'immunomodulatory effect would not affect the normal function of theorgans. As shown in table 6, the animal experiments showed thatBifidobacterium breve 207-1 activated macrophages and stimulated thesecretion of various related cytokines. IL-10 was a multifunctionalnegative regulatory cytokine; the promoted secretion of a large amountof anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 when the probiotic activatedpro-inflammatory responses (production of IL-6 and TNF-α) indicated thatBifidobacterium breve 207-1 could balance the inflammatory responses andmaintain the homeostasis of cellular immunity. The ability ofBifidobacterium breve 207-1 to activate macrophages to secrete cytokinesis higher than that of the commercial strain LGG (Table 6). The resultsof animal experiments were consistent with the results of cellexperiments.

TABLE 6 Relative expression level of cytokine mRNA in spleen Group IL-10IL-6 IL-12 TNF-a Control group 1.15 ± 0.28 1.19 ± 0.55 1.18 ± 0.62 0.99± 0.47 207-1 group 1.36 ± 0.49 1.23 ± 0.45 2.00 ± 0.88 2.12 ± 0.87 LGGgroup 0.47 ± 0.14 0.87 ± 0.3  0.35 ± 0.11 0.32 ± 0.11

Example 5 Test of Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 Inhibiting AllergicReaction

1. Experimental Method:

In this experiment, ovalbumin (OVA) was used to establish a mouse serumIgE hypersensitivity model. The commercial probiotic strain LGG that hadbeen shown to have a significant ability to inhibit allergic reactionsin animal and clinical trials was used as a control to study the effectof Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 on the inhibition of allergic reactions.

Experimental grouping: a total of 60 male BALB/C mice, 6 weeks old,18-20 g, were selected, and grouped as shown in Table 7:

TABLE 7 Grouping of experimental animals Group Number Gavage andintervention Control group 15 0.2 ml normal saline gavage + normalsaline injection Model group 15 0.2 ml normal saline gavage + OVAintervention 207-1 test 15 0.2 ml 207-1 + OVA intervention group LGGgroup 15 0.2 ml LGG + OVA intervention

Intervention: The OVA reagent was 40 ug OVA+0.2 ml AL(OH)₃ adjuvant(absolute dose was 4 mg of AL(OH)₃). The absolute dose of the probioticgroup was 10⁹ CFU, and the gavage volume was 0.2 ml/animal/day. Afterfeeding for 42 days, 4 intraperitoneal OVA injection interventions wereperformed on the day 7, day 21, day 28, and day 35, respectively.

Sample collection and detection: The animals were sacrificed on the day42, and the serum IgE contents and the expression of spleen cytokineswere determined.

2. Experimental Results:

IgE is the main mediator of type I hypersensitivity, and the type Ihypersensitivity is the main physiological mechanism of most allergicdiseases. The results showed that Bifidobacterium breve 207-1 couldreduce the level of serum IgE in allergic mouse model, inhibitIgE-mediated allergic reactions, and alleviate allergic diseases (FIG. 3). This experiment also showed that the ability of Bifidobacterium breve207-1 to reduce serum IgE was higher than that of the commercial strainLGG.

The detection results of spleen cytokines showed that Bifidobacteriumbreve 207-1 significantly increased the expression of anti-inflammatoryfactor IL-10 in spleen (Table 8). There are reports showing that IL-10can participate in the regulation of TH1 and TH2. Based on the analysisof the above results, it is believed that the probiotics of the presentapplication can induce the expression of IL-10, thereby inhibiting theactivity of TH1 and TH2 cells, and down-regulating the body's immuneresponse level, thereby achieving allergic reactions.

TABLE 8 Relative expression level of IL-10 cytokine mRNA in spleenRelative expression level of mRNA Group IL-10 Blank control group 1.69 ±0.95 OVA model group 1.03 ± 0.32 207-1 + OVA group 4.65 ± 0.88 LGG + OVAgroup 1.84 ± 0.89

What is claimed is:
 1. A food product comprising Bifldobacierium breveaccession no. GDMCC No. 60962, deposited in Guangdong Microbial CultureCollection Center, or progeny thereof, and an additive, wherein theadditive is selected from the group consisting of a dietary fiber,prebiotic, protein, lipid, plant polyphenol, or any combmation thereof.2. The food product according to claim 1, wherein the compositionfurther comprises a microorganism selected from the group consisting ofa bacterium, fungus, or combination thereof.
 3. The food productaccording to claim 2, characterized by one or more of the following: (1)the microorganism is a probiotic; (2) the bacterium is selected from thegroup consisting of Lactobacillus spp. Bifidobacterium spp., Bacillusspp., Propionibacterium spp., Streptococcus spp., Lactococcus spp.,Pediococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., or anycombination thereof; (3) the fungus is a yeast; and (4) the fungus isselected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces cerevisiae,Saccharomyces boulardii, Kluyveromyces marxianus, or any combinationthereof.
 4. The food product according to claim 3, characterized by oneor more of the following: (1) the bacterium of the Lactobacillus spp. isselected from the group consisting of: Lactobacillus paracasei,Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus jensenti,Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus crispatus,Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus delbrueckit, Lactobacillusfermentum, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus helveticus,Lactobacillus Johnsonii, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuteri,Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus salivarius,or any combination thereof; (2) the bacterium of the Bifidobacteriumspp. is selected from the group consisting of: Bifidobacterium animalis,Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacteriuminfantis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, or anycombination thereof; (3) the bacterium of the Bacillus spp. is selectedfrom the group consisting of: Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus coagulans, orany combination thereof; (4) the bacterium of the Propionibacterium spp.is selected from the group consisting of: Propionibacterium shermanii,Propionibacterium freudenreichii, Propionibacterium acidipropionici, orany combination thereof; (5) the bacterium of the Streptococcus spp. isselected from the group consisting of: Streptococcus thermophilus,Streptococcus salivarius, or any combination thereof; (6) the bacteriumof the Lactococcus spp. is Lactococcus lactis; and (7) the bacterium ofthe Enterococcus spp. is selected from the group consisting of:Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, or any combination thereof.5. The food product acearding to claim 1, wherein: (1) the food productfurther comprises an additional nutrient; (2) the food product is usedas a starter culture to make a second product; (3) the Bifidobacteriumbreve accession no. GDMCC No. 60962 in the food product is used as astarter culture in a fermentation process; and/or (4) theBifidobacterium breve accession no. GDMCC No. 60962 is present in thefood product in an amount of 10⁶ to 10¹² CFU/dose of the food product.6. The food product according to claim 5, characterized by one or moreof the following: (1) the starter culture is a starter culture for plantfermented product or a starter culture for dairy product; and (2) theBifidobacterium breve is present in the food product in an amount of 10⁸to 10¹² CFU/dose.
 7. The food product according to claim 1,characterized by one or more of the following: (1) the food product isselected from the group consisting of a beverage, candy, fruit juice ordairy product; (2) the food product is selected from the groupconsisting of yogurt, flavored fermented milk, a beverage comprisinglactic acid bacteria and cheese; (3) the Bifidobacterium breve accessionno. GDMCC No. 60962 is present in an amount of 10⁶ to 10¹² CFU/dose inthe food product; and (4) the Bifidobacterium breve accession no. GDMCCNo. 60962 is present in an amount of 10⁸ to 10¹² CFU/dose in the foodproduct.
 8. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceuticallyeffective amount of Bifidobacterium breve accession no. GDMCC No. 60962and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the pharmaceuticalcomposition is in the form of a pill, powder, capsule, tablet, granulatematerial, sachet or dragee, and wherein one dose of the compositioncomprises 10⁶ to 10¹² CFU/dose or 10⁸ to 10¹² CFU/dose.
 9. A method forinhibiting inflammation or alleviating an inflammatory disease in asubject, or for improving an immunity of a subject, or for preventing abacterial or viral infection or an autoimmune disease in a subject, orfor improving or alleviating an allergic reaction or symptom thereof ina subject, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof atherapeutically effective amount of the Bifidobacterium breve or progenythereof according to claim
 1. 10. The method according to claim 9,characterized by one or more of the following: (1) the inflammatorydisease is selected from the group consisting of a disease caused byretina inflammation, a disease caused by skin inflammation, a diseasecaused by respiratory tract inflammation, and a disease caused bydigestive tract inflammation; (2) the bacterial or viral infection isselected from the group consisting of bacterial influenza, viralinfluenza, urinary tract infection, vaginitis and cervicitis; (3) theautoimmune disease is selected from the group consisting of systemiclupus erythematosus, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmuneencephalitis; (4) the allergic reaction or related symptom thereof isselected from the group consisting of eczema, atopic dermatitis, asthmaand food allergy; (5) the medicament or dietary supplement or healthcare product can promote the activation of an immune cell, promote theproduction of a cytokine; (6) the medicament or dietary supplement orhealth care product can inhibit an IgE-mediated allergic reaction; (7)the medicament or dietary supplement or health care product is usedalone or in combination with an additional antifungal agent, analgesic,anti-inflammatory drug, healing agent, or moisturizer; (8) the subjectis a mammal; and (9) the subject is a human.
 11. The method according toclaim 10, characterized by one or more of the following: (1) the diseasecaused by retina inflammation is retinitis or keratitis; (2) the diseasecaused by skin inflammation is dermatitis or eczema; (3) the diseasecaused by respiratory tract inflammation is upper respiratory tractinfection; (4) the disease caused by digestive tract inflammation isinflammatory bowel disease; (5) the cytokine is selected from the groupconsisting of IL-10, IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α, or any combination thereof, and(6) the cytokine is anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10.
 12. A method formanufacturing a starter culture, comprising administering theBifidobacterium breve or progeny thereof according to claim 1 in thefermentation of a solid food or liquid food.
 13. The method according toclaim 12, characterized by one or two of the following: (1) the solidfood is cheese; and (2) the liquid food is yogurt, flavored fermentedmilk, lactic acid bacteria drinks, or any combination thereof.
 14. Amicrobial culture comprising Bifidobacterium breve accession no. GDMCCNo. 60962 and a second microorganism, wherein the second microorganismis selected from the group consisting of a different bacterium, a fungusand a yeast.